The Thief and The Mage
by Sungirl and Meowiegirl
Summary: Mai/Joey! Mai is a street rat, who is a treasure mage, but doesn't know it! Joey is a theif. What happens when they meet? (set in a fantasy realm ^_^)


A/N:  
  
Sungirl: Hi! This is a Romance/Fantasy/Action/Adventure fic. It's Mai/Joey ^_^  
  
Yami Sungirl: A very good couple  
  
Sungirl: This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh romance, so go easy on the flames *puppy dog face*  
  
Note: ~~~ = beginning/end of story  
  
~= Change in point of view (except or the first ~)  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh I'd be rich, but I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh T_T (So can I have some money? ^_^)  
  
~~~  
  
~Joey~  
  
If you could've had one word to describe me, it would have been thief. I was a thief, I don't deny it, but I didn't want to be. You see my parents abandoned me when I was small and I was taken in by the Rouge Lord, or at least that's what he calls himself, he's no lord, but he is definitely a rouge. He called me Blood but still everyone knew me as Joey. The name Blood was only used when the Rouge Lord was around.  
  
So I grew up in the Rouge Lord's gang, The Dragon keepers. The mark is still burned upon my arm a dragon's tooth in a circle. They branded it onto me like a cow, the memory is so painful...  
  
My name is Joey, my name is Blood whichever you pick. This is my tale.  
  
~  
  
My hands crept into the woman's moneybag that hung from her belt. 'Excellent' I thought 'If I pull this one off, I can avoid a beating tonight.' I had been getting beatings from my lord lately because I had been bringing him nothing or very little. And that made him unhappy. I remember what he had told me;  
  
*FLASH BACK*  
  
"Now Blood, this really isn't enough!" The Rouge Lord frowned at the small pile of coins in front of him. "This makes me unhappy, and you know what happens when the Rouge Lord is unhappy,"  
  
I threw myself at his feet. "No master!" I sobbed "Not again! Please, not again!" but it was too late his whip was across my back. I cried out in pain.  
  
The Rouge Lord stared at me with no pity in his eyes. "Do not fail me again, Blood. Or you will feel greater pain."  
  
I trembled at his feet. "No master, I will not fail. Just no more pain, please, no more pain." I stumbled out of the room my new scar burning up my back.  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
'Gold!' my mind cried with glee, 'This will please my lord. The pain will stop, the fire whip will take a break tonight, and there will be no new scar tonight!' The Rouge Lord's whip was getting harder. We could all tell he was drinking more then he usually did. Everyone feared him during these periods. He would whip people without warning (he even beat the gentle Tea). He would even kill people sometimes when things didn't work out his way. All Dragon Keepers knew to steer clear of him when he was like this; everyone knew their lives were on the line. But most importantly everyone knew someone would die, and everyone feared it would be them.  
  
I causally walked out of the store, and then broke into a run. 'No pain! There would be no pain at all.' A wild grin lit my face. I would have at least one more night of life.  
  
"Sir?" A gentle voice called softly.  
  
I turned and saw a girl about my age staring at me, her hair was damp, her face was dirty, her clothes were ragged and she sported bruises on her arms. She was beautiful.  
  
"Sir," she began again. "I have no food or any place to say." She did look like she was starving to death. "Could I please have one of the coins in your pocket?" She looked at me with irresistible eyes.  
  
"I-I have no coins." I muttered. 'How does she know?' I thought  
  
"Ah, but you do. Please, I'm on the brink of death." Tears welled up in her violet eyes.  
  
I tore my eyes away. "Even if I had them," I yelled. "I wouldn't give even a chip of one to rat like you!"  
  
Tears streamed down her face. "Fine, I suppose I am a street rat. I've been told it all my life. I was hoping to find kindness in another street member. But since I'm a rat, nobody has time for me, be on your way."  
  
I couldn't say no. I remembered my life before the Dragon keeper found me, when I was a street rat.  
  
*FLASH BACK*  
  
"Mama! Papa! Where are you?!" I ran down the street, my parents had told me they'd meet me here. "Please! I'm scared! Please save me!"  
  
"There's nobody here to save you." A cruel voice came from behind me; I turned around and saw the right hand man of the Glory Hand gang. "You're all alone so give me what you have!"  
  
"I don't have anything," I wailed (I was only 5). "I want my mama and papa!"  
  
"Don't you get it, brat?" The Glory Hand sneered, "They abandoned you!" Left you in the cold to be prey for the gangs and street mages that roam this city!" (A/N: remember this isn't modern day) And with that he punched me hard in my ribs and slit a knife down my back, not enough to scar me but enough to hurt like hell, then he reached into his pocket and drew out a small packet, and he dumped the contents on the wound. My screams pierced the air; there was SALT in that packet. I screamed as loud as could but nobody came, nobody cared. I was a rat, just a plain rat. I gave him my money.  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
"Here!" I threw down a coin, "But if I get beaten tonight by my master, I will show you what real pain feels like!"  
  
Her eyes were still wet from the tears but they shone with joy. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she cried, and then she hugged me (A/N: its official I suck at romance). She blushed and let go, I wanted to say 'hey! Don't let go!' (A/N: -_-U) but I bit my tongue. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just haven't eaten in a week and this is like a gift from the gods. Thank you, um, what's your name?"  
  
"Uh... Joey."  
  
"Well thanks, Joey. See ya round."  
  
She turned in the direction of the market. "Wait," I called, she turned around to face me. "What's your name?"  
  
"Oh, it's Mai."  
  
"Well I'll be going now!"  
  
"Bye, Joey!"  
  
And with that I ran all the way back to Dragon Keeper territory, fingering the coins.  
  
~Mai~  
  
I watched Joey run down the street, into gang territory, Dragon Keeper territory. I had wondered what gang he belonged too. Anyone but the Ice Throat Gang... I walked to the center of the market where food was sold.  
  
As I walked I thought about what had just happened, why had I hugged him? Was it just joy that I would eat again? The insanity that came with starvation? Or something else? I grinned, if I was going crazy it sure felt good.  
  
"Hey, beautiful, haven't seen you in a while." A teasing voice sounded in my ear as I was grabbed from behind. "Where've you been?"  
  
I turned and spat in Taniko's face. Taniko belongs to the Ice Throat gang, you can tell by the thin clear crystal he wears around his neck. He and his bumbling gang of idiots gang up on me and torment me whenever they can.  
  
"So Mai, darling, got anything to say to me today." I smelled alcohol. Lots of it.  
  
"Get out of my face or only the gods know how much I'll hurt you." I growled, trying to get free.  
  
Oh, come now, Mai. I know you want me." He stepped closer and the smell of alcohol grew stronger.  
  
"I'd rather eat dirt." I spat in his face again.  
  
"I can arrange that!" Taniko said with an evil grin, and then he stuffed earth in my mouth and punched me hard. Then he drew out a knife, "oh Ganshee take him now. Let him rot in your dungeon. Just don't let him rape me!' I prayed.  
  
"What's this?" A familiar voice said, and then Joey appeared in my line of vision.  
  
"This is none of your concern." Taniko hissed, angrily.  
  
But Joey ignored him. "Good thing, I remembered the Rouge Lord had asked me to get food. Are these goons bothering you Mai?" He pointed at Taniko and his cronies.  
  
"What do you think?" I snarled. I expected Taniko to slap me for being a "Rat's Whore" as he put it. But Taniko seemed frozen al he did was stare at the mark on Joey's arm; a dragon tooth in a circle.  
  
Finally Taniko managed to get out. "You-you work for his greatness, the Rouge Lord?"  
  
"Yes, now answer my question; what are you doing to her?"  
  
"No-nothing at all, Sir. We were just leaving." Taniko and his cronies scampered."  
  
I slid to the floor and looked up at Joey, and whispered. "They were drunk. "There was lots of alcohol on their breaths. Taniko was even going to rape me I could see it in his eyes. I'm so weak right now; it probably would have killed me. You saved my life." 'Again' I thought to myself.  
  
Joey looked at me with sympathy in his eyes. He sank down to were I was sitting. "If they ever bother you again, tell them you'll have Blood of the Dragon Keepers on them faster then they can scream." He pulled me off the ground. Then winked and walked off.  
  
I bought my food and started home. Glad to have a life, because if it weren't for Joey, I'd be dead...  
  
~~~  
  
A/N:  
  
Sungirl: Do you like it, I think its okay.  
  
Yami Sungirl: If you like it, I hate it!  
  
Sungirl: Oh shut-up! *tapes YS's mouth shut* I won't update until I get at least 5 reviews (GOOD REVIEWS). The idea for this story came from 'Street Magic' by Tamora Pierce (It's about FANTASY gang wars!) If you would like to read another really good Mai/Joey fic read Sk8er Boi by Harpie Lady! Or If you like Tea/Kaiba read Light of Love by Ash Nite! ^_^ 


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